Of Fabled Roses And Smelly Cheeses
by PhotogenicPineapple
Summary: Betrayal blood is the worst kind of blood. It stains your finger tips, and coats your skin in a acid that will never truly let you go, or let the daughter of the family you killed live her life with out slitting your throat first, but what happens when a fellow Warden with a fondness of cheeses swoops into her life with a awkward grin and a boyish smile? Warning: Spoilers, ect.
1. Prologue

We're running. Always running, it seems. With blood using our body as a artist's canvas, and sweat slobbering up our arms and legs. The aching in my bones is numbed, and my energy comes from the pits of my belly, roaring up in adrenaline spikes that reach my hands, quickly collaborating with the space around me, practically flying like a trained hawk. I see with my ears, and taste the saltiness of shock and fear in the air with my tongue. All I ever knew, is melting around me, pooling at my feet and soaking into the ground below my toes. I can do nothing, but watch the blood water the half dead roses that linger to the sides of the castle._ Dying red roses, sprung back to life by the blood of the deceased who long forgot them. _I thought, before I headed head first into a world of unknown darkness, and let my fate crumble right off the edge of my finger tips.


	2. Chapter 1: The Ending Of A Beginning

I can feel the breaths of the deceased breathing down the collar of my neck. Guilt waves over me in endless battles. The forest consumes us, Duncan, Memphis, and I, and the darkness shields my pain filled eyes. Not even the ice cold winds of the October night can drive me into a thought. Every part of my being is confused, and begging to be dreaming. Metal digs into my palm, and into my fingers, the rich blade, decorated carefully in florescent designs. Battles and Wars decorate is silver tone, and I find myself clenching it harder, holding onto the bit of life I have left.

It may have been hours, but everything has been frozen into segments, and I feel as if I have been holding my breath. Just seconds a go it seems, I was holding the body of my dying Father, and kissing the cheek of my soon-to-be dead Mother. The memories flash through my mind, and they cause me to vomit in retching noises all over the forest floor. Memphis licks my face, whining as he try's to comfort me. I can see the pain and worry in his big brown canine eyes. Duncan watches as well, and I can see the worry there too. I look down, my vision quickly blurred by the moisture constantly making its way down my chapped cheeks.

Camp has been made, and the minutes flash by. I don't sleep, I stare, watching the fire with clouded vision. Duncan tells me once or twice that I will need as much energy as possible for the journey a head, but doesn't push it. I attempt to close my eyes once or twice, but the knots turn in my gut when the memories paint themselves in bright colors on the insides of my eyelids. At some point, I am consumed by sleep deprivation and my body slumps as my eyes are forced closed. The hours after that I spend reliving the memory over and over again.

Maybe it was a week, two, three, I didn't notice the time elapsing around me. By the time we arrived at Ostagar, I was a cracked and pale porcelain doll with frizzy hair. Thankfully, it was late at night, and besides a few on duty guards here and there, no one was awake. Duncan escorted me to a tent, where a tub of hot water was already placed. I said a whispered ''Thank you,'' then closed my tent.

Where am I? Just minutes a go, I was teasing Oriana about teaching Oren how to use a sword, now I'm in a tent, they're dead, all of them, besides Fergus. Fergus. First thing in the Morning, I would need to bring him up. I was unaware of how badly my body truly ached until I slid off my armor. It felt like my bones were grinding against each other. Bruises caked my skin, a long with dried cracking blood and cuts. Sinking in, the pleasure of heat escorted its self all over my body, comforting my shaking frame.

Dipping my head under the water, I scrubbed with a rough little rag at my face. I wondered how I looked now, as the orphaned little girl, rather than the beautiful Noble maiden with suitors coming from all around. Mentally kicking the thought away, my fingers slid around the animal lard soap that smelt of vegetables. Again, I began scrubbing frantically at my skin. From my face to my elbows, knees, and each individual toe. Trying again, and again, and again, to rid myself of the blood that drenched my body. The blood of my Father, Mother, little Oren, Oriana, The servants, Ser Gilmore, The Guards. Nan. I had no idea when again I would be alone, so I the sobs came out, retched into my fingers, hidden by the winds that carried away my echoed sounds deep into the Korcari wilds.

The next morning was just as dreadful as the last, with aches and pains galloping up the sides of my arms, the inner of my calf, and the lengths of my legs. Finding a brush what seemed to be made out of polished wood that someone left on a stool for me, I brushed through my hair, which in its self took me a good thirty minutes, but I gathered that at the moment I had two or three hours to spare, it was pitch black outside, with only the Moon as my greeter. Lengths of silky dark brown and red hair sired my head, falling over my shoulders, and caressed my face in whispers and tickles.

My fingers did a graceful ballet, dancing and twirling my hair into one long braid that started at the crown and ended just where my hips started. I couldn't see how it looked, and wondered for a bleak second if I looked like a crazed moron with bits of black and red hair flopping about on my head. The thought didn't reach my conscious though, and honestly, I didn't care what I looked like. Nothing mattered at this point in time besides getting revenge for the loved ones I watched be slaughtered like pigs, and I highly doubted looking fashionable was needed in that.

After messing with my hair, everything was a bleak blur that franchised past my eyes in a matter of seconds. My mind seemed dazed, and the rest of me off. I was a walking, talking, and breathing doll, with a stiff and emotionless status to match. My arms were tugged at and probed with the strings that mashed around them, but besides that, I was hallow. They could try to mold me, but I fear with even the gentlest touch I will crumble and decay right into the forest floor.

Duncan was by the roaring fire, not far from my little tent. He seemed deep in thought, studying the movement and architectural design of each individual flames. My shyness got the better end of me, and I stood their awkwardly like a buck took, uneven and odd in every single way, I wonder how I ever made it as a noble for seventeen years. My eyes traveled from east to west, left and right, looking around and studying the camp that had been covered in black when I first arrived. Not that it was that much lighter now, and I noticed only a handful of soldiers up. By the guess of the shade of black blue that painted the sky and the small amount of those awake, it was still pretty early.

Five minutes later, Duncan broke me from my rambling and random thoughts. I jumped, my pulse quickening and muscles tightening. ''I didn't mean to startle you,Elissa.'' He said gently, a calming and stern Father type of tone. I yearned for my Father then, so badly it felt like the air as being squeezed out of my lungs. ''It-it's fine.'' The first 'it' came out weaker and more startled than I had attended it to, and I wonder if the thought of ''I picked her?" crossed his mind for a mid second. He nodded once, then put his arm out, letting me go first as he began explaining to me Ostagor. We walked across the ruins, as he pointed out things of importance.

''It's rather fitting that the stance starts here, isn't it?'' I ask, my voice trailing continuously into the wind. He nodded once, a smile hinting his lips. ''We have a lot of...history, here.'' I nodded in recognition, fairy tales and four hundred old story's tittering aboard my head. Metal on stone brought me back from my child hood memories, and my eyes sprung up to meet those of the King. His eyes seemed to almost jump from there sockets momentarily, ''Elissa?''

Sky blue eyes stared at me, shocked and abundant with wonderment. His eyes had always been like that, so child like and full of thoughts and unanswered questions. ''King Callian.'' I responded, my voice as smooth as icing. ''What..what are you doing here?'' He asked, I looked over at Duncan, my mouth pressed into a hard line. Duncan nodded once to me, then looked over to Callian. Callian's mouth fumbled in a moment, something he hardly did. ''This is..your promising recruit?'' The question in his voice was not because he questioned my skill...it was more so the fact that I was suppose to be in Highever, watching my family's estate. ''Yes, your Majesty. This is she.'' He nodded once, seeming lost in the world around him. ''Greetings to you, Elissa.'' I bowed, my arms crossed with respect over my chest. ''Greetings, your Majesty.'' He picked up the sentence then, flowing out his natural charismatic abilities. ''I have no doubt that you wish to see your brother, but he and his men are currently out, scouting in the forest. We, however are still awaiting the arrival of your Father.'' I paled then, feeling fifty shades lighter and my stomach tighten as if a corset was now around my waist. ''You..haven't heard?'' I asked breathlessly, anxiety painting my tone. Duncan put his hand lightly on my shoulder, and spoke up then. ''The Teryn and Teryna were killed three weeks ago at the betrayal of the Howe's.'' I looked down, slanting my heard towards the left. The swelling feeling in my eyes returned, and I fought the tears that threatened to spill. I did not see what face Callian made to that, and I did not want to.

His voice boomed, outraged with complete disgust and anger. ''And he thinks he can get away with that?!'' He sighed then, and I turned my head towards him. The look in his eyes, the one that others had commented being the only thing he had of his Father King Maric, was determined and hard. ''Elissa, I swear to you that you will get your revenge. For now, I can not do anything. Once the horde has been fought, I will send my men to the Howe's estate immediately.'' I nodded, my eyes meeting his. ''Thank you, your majesty.'' He nodded, smiling softly in my direction. Duncan spoke up then as our conversation ended, ''Your uncle reminds you that Redcliff recruits will be here in less than week, and to be careful.'' Callian laughed at that, shaking his head. ''Eamon just wants in on the glory. Unfortunately, I think we have the darkspawn rather under control.'' I rose a brow, not quite believing that statement. All though just and good, Callian was more sword play than brains. ''I must cut our conversation short.'' He said aggravatingly, after a guard whispered something in his ear. ''Never the less Loghan sends a search party out.'' He smiled at his both, said a goodbye, then was gone.

I was told to explore, but asked not to leave the campsite, and that within a few hours to find somebody by the name of, what was it? Allen, Allison, Alistair? My eyes had the habit of concentrating on something else than the importance in front of me. I dreadfully did need to work on that, Mother would of given me a ten minute lecture. I would kill for a ten minute lecture from her right now.


End file.
